Green Building : Jetson Green

Confessions of a Radical Industrialist [Giveaway]

We have two copies of this book, which we will give away to two random commenters at the end of Friday, September 25, 2009.*

Ray Anderson is probably one of the most prominent business leaders in the country and his story is incredible.  Growing up, he learned to grit it out on the football field and in the classroom.  Several years later, he applied those lessons to start Interface, the world's largest manufacturer of modular carpets.  Now, in his new book, Confessions of a Radical Industrialist, which was released late last week, Anderson challenges the business community to share a goal he set for his company: to take nothing from the earth that cannot be replaced by the earth.

Green School Primer [Giveaway]

We have three copies of this book, which we will give away to three random commenters at the end of Friday, September 25, 2009.*

What kind of school did you grow up learning in?  During those formative years, did you have the opportunity to learn in a sustainable and architecturally significant environment?  Think back to those days when your mind wandered.  Would you ponder the exposed woodwork?  Or the expansive windows?  Or the structural steel?  Like many students, maybe you didn't have the opportunity to learn in a green school or anything of the sort, and that's where the Green School Primer comes in.  The Green School Primer is a new book that's been written to educate anyone -- whether a board member, teacher, student, or parent --  about the benefits of green schools.

Green Building Trends [Giveaway]

Jerry Yudelson is a machine when it comes to publishing new books on cutting-edge green building topics.  In his latest book, Green Building Trends: Europe, Yudelson tackles a topic that's popping up in the news more and more.  Whether the topic is couched in a discussion of PassivHaus, Swedish prefabrication, or otherwise, it surfaces as a question: Are Europeans more advanced that Americans when it comes to green building design and innovation?

Green Recovery [Giveaway]

We're giving away a copy of this book to one commenter below, so make sure to comment with a valid email before midnight on Friday, August 7, 2009.*

Harvard Business Press was kind enough to provide an advance copy of Green Recovery: Green Lean, Get Smart, and Emerge from the Downturn on Top, which was written by Andrew Winston, coauthor of Green to Gold.  As you might imagine, the book is perfect for executives, managers, and business professionals looking for a way to juggle both environmental strategy and business profitability.  Winston explains that investing in green strategy, if done properly, can save money quickly -- therefore, it should be a core strategy of economic survival. 

Strategy for Sustainability [Giveaway]

We're giving away a copy of this book to one commenter below, so make sure to comment with a valid email before midnight on Friday, July 24, 2009.*

Harvard Business Press was kind enough to provide a copy of Adam Werbach's much anticipated book called Strategy for Sustainability: A Business Manifesto, which is definitely worth grabbing.  Werbach is a polarizing figure in the environmentalist world, and I guess you could say the debate centers upon his strategy to "work with rather than against large corporations."  There are environmentalists that absolutely abhor corporations, but there are also environmentalists that try to change the world through corporations.  Werbach aligns himself with the latter and provides his sustainable strategy for doing so in this new book. 

The Earth-Sheltered House [Giveaway]

We're giving away a copy of this book to one commenter below, so make sure to comment with a valid email before midnight on Friday, July 24, 2009.*

Chelsea Green was kind enough to provide a copy of The Earth-Sheltered House: An Architect's Sketchbook by Malcolm Wells, and I'm glad they did.  The book is full of his sketches with handwritten notes -- it feels like I'm reading something that's handwritten just for me.  Wells tells it like it is with his own voice.  He drew me in, and before I knew it, I was already on the last page. 

Green Made Easy [Giveaway]

We're giving away a copy of this book to one commenter below, so make sure to comment with a valid email before midnight on Friday, June 19, 2009.*

Chris Prelitz, a sustainability pioneer, is the author of a new book called Green Made Easy: The Everyday Guide for Transitioning to a Green Lifestyle.  He lives in a solar-powered home, which often generates more energy than it requires, and had a green flip featured on the Discovery Channel's Greenovate.  As a seasoned sustainability consultant and head of a design-build firm, Chris provides twenty-years of life experience in this easy-to-read book.

Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget [Giveaway]

We're giving away a copy of this book to one commenter below, so make sure to comment with a valid email before midnight on Friday, June 19, 2009.*

Josh Dorfman, green entrepreneur and television host of The Lazy Environmentalist (now showing on the Sundance Channel), is also the author of the newly released book The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget: Save Money. Save Time, Save the Planet.  In his second book, Josh sets out to create environmental change with easy, stylish, and affordable solutions. 

The Thoreau You Don't Know [Giveaway]

We're giving away a copy of this book to one commenter below, so make sure to comment with a valid email before midnight on Friday, May 22, 2009.*

In terms of non-architectural books, this is probably the most interesting book I've read in a long time.  In The Thoreau You Don't Know: What the Prophet of Environmentalism Really Meant, Robert Sullivan thoroughly and cleverly tells the real story of Henry David Thorough.  It's a different story than the one we've all become accustomed to hearing.  But it's fascinating and compelling.  And if you've ever thought of invoking the name of Thoreau in support of this or that environmental cause, give it a read before doing so. 

Prefab Green Book [Giveaway]

We're giving away a copy of this book to one commenter below, so make sure to comment with a valid email before midnight on Friday, May 15, 2009.*

Prefab Green by Michelle Kaufmann is one-hundred and seventy-six pages of mixed images and information certain to please anyone interested in this burgeoning industry.  Gibbs Smith, the architectural publishing powerhouse, released the book in January of this year, and if you're looking for insider expertise on prefab construction, I suggesting picking up a copy.